


Ilomilo

by veturdraugur



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: An in-between of tlj and tros, Ben is alive and here is why, F/M, It sets up the fix it fics, Something to fill in the gaps and give you hope, ben solo is fucking alive, its sweet, jj can go to hell, someone had to fill in some gaps might as well be me, surprise character - Freeform, writers these days just... why?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-24 18:22:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22002415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veturdraugur/pseuds/veturdraugur
Summary: After the battle of Crait and before the events of Palpatine's return there is still a story. Rey feels that a piece of her is missing, that something is wrong. While new Supreme Leader Kylo Ren is desperately searching for answers to a bond that might stay shut to him forever. Both looking for answers and both feeling alone. With the darkness rising in the unknown regions and a voice Kylo has never heard before, that might just have what he needs.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	Ilomilo

**Author's Note:**

> A brief history to the title. Ilomino is a game where two characters try to reach each other in a world without gravity (space) when the reach each other they hug. It's about trying to reach the person you love and the fear of being separated from them in a world you can't control. I found it very fitting.
> 
> Where did you go?  
> I should know, but it's cold  
> and I don't wanna be lonely  
> was hoping you'd come home  
> I don't care if it's a lie  
> -Ilomilo

Ilomilo

Rey was agitated, two months have gone by since the battle on Crait, two months since Master Luke passed away and two months since… no she would refuse to think about that. Shaking her head, Rey made her way through the Falcon to her quarters. It was rather crowded and to Rey’s surprise, it bothered her. All her life she was alone, now she was surrounded by her new family and friends but it sometimes became too much for her and even in a crowded room the feelings of loneliness lingered at the back of her mind, like a ghost. She blamed the heavy losses they experienced when Finn or Rose asked why she was being distant. It was harder to lie to Leia, she seemed to sense that there was more to it; which made Rey uneasy. She took to avoiding her gaze, for more then one reason, her son had the same eyes after all and Rey couldn’t bare to look in Leia’s for too long in fear of revealing herself or worse, the bond reopening. Ever since she closed the Falcon door on _him_ the bond has not opened again and Rey told herself that this was a blessing, something good.

She walked into her room; the one she shared with Rose and Kaydel, the three got along well, Rose’s optimistic attitude and Kaydel’s level headedness made for a good combination, but for now Rey was happy to find the room abandoned.

The stack of clean clothes on her makeshift bed had to be sorted. From all the things she has to do on the Falcon; cleaning, serving food and cooking- folding laundry was, surprisingly, her favourite task. The motions calmed her mind and allowed her to drift off or organise her thoughts. Often about the Jedi text that she _borrowed_ from Luke or where they might find a new base to regroup and recruit new members for the resistance. Most often however, and to Rey’s great annoyance, they would go back to the brief force connection she had with the now, Supreme Leader and what they meant. She never heard of a force bond nor a bond strong enough that would allow two people that were in completely different systems to… touch each other, feel each others emotions and blind you to anything in _their_ surrounding’s.

She finished folding the pants and was moving on to the shirts, her favourite item to fold, when she felt it.

Maybe it was due to her thinking about the bond again or just because the force worked in ways she could not yet grasp, but the connection crept up on her and before she knew it, she could feel him standing behind her. She could feel other things as well. Emotions such as, shock that the connection was still active, anger and torment, those two were always present with him and a mixture of fear and hope… and longing, she didn’t want to focus on that, instead she willed herself to supress the ridiculous sensation of relief and chose cold anger instead.

Rey was unwilling to turn around; she would not face him nor would she utter a word.

“How are you? How is your arm?” soft and deep, exactly how she remembered it. She could also imagine the look he was giving her; big, sad, brown eyes. She could _hear_ the hesitation within him, the fear that the she would shut the bond off again.

“Did it heal properly? I know that the weapon of a praetorian guard cuts deep.”

She didn’t want to imagine why he knew that, what else Snoke had put him through to get him to embrace the dark side. Rey had to close her eyes to that image, she felt Kylo stiffen behind her, he must have sensed her discomfort.

So before he could say anything else that would make her feel sympathy she turned on him and did the only thing she knew when it came to this, she latched on to her anger, the feeling of his betrayal sat deep and she poured that emotion into every word she uttered.

“Was it worth it? Becoming Supreme Leader?” Rey might as well have spat the words, “Are you finally happy and satisfied being the leader of an organisation that supresses and kills millions? Just like your grandfather before you, I’m sure he would be very proud of you.”

She was fully facing him now and what she saw is not what she expected. He looked paler then usual and horribly tired. The bags under his eyes told a familiar story to Rey. One where he can’t find sleep in the night, tormented by something just out of his reach, something he can’t quite grasp with his mind but something that keeps him awake regardless. Rey knew that feeling well. The feeling that a part of her was missing and that it left a hole inside of her. That was the cause of her constant agitation.

“No.” was his answer to the question she almost forgot she asked and it startled Rey. His complete candour always startled Rey but before she could even fathom any kind of respond the bond broke and she was all alone again, silence surrounding her.

The interaction left Rey shaken, she had to get out of the room and find something to do amongst other members of the resistance. She made her way to the common area of the Falcon and tried to find someone to tell her… anything really, which planet they would stop for fuel and food next or what system they were in. But when she arrived all she felt was dread, there were so many people that it almost felt claustrophobic.

Rey was used to endless desert terrain with sand dunes blocking one’s vision. While the Falcon was made for one pilot, a co-pilot and a small crew, it was not made for the last of the resistance to live in. Before she knew it, Rey’s feet turned her around towards the direction she came from, away from all the people and all the noise. Rey had to come to the bitter realisation in the last two months that, sometimes it was easier to feel lonely in a room full of people then in a room that holds no one but yourself. She was shaking her head and about to turn the corner when she heard a voice call out to her.

Her heart sped up because of all the people on this ship, _his mother,_ was the last person she wanted to talk to. Rey knew that Leia suspected that more happened between Rey and Kylo on the Supremacy and that the story is a complicated one. She also knew that, at some point she would have to confess to Leia, not just about the force bond but also her feelings of loneliness and agitation that only seemed to disappear when she talked to her son. But today was not that day. So she gathered herself and prepared to supress her emotions to the best of her ability, not to make Leia worry too much.

Leia caught up to her and smiled, “You’ve been avoiding me lately, don’t think I haven’t noticed.” Well there goes her plan of not causing Leia consern. The soft look in the older woman’s eyes almost took Rey’s breath away, her son had looked at her that way once too, in a hut with a roaring fire and an aura of new intimacy.

“I miss him too Rey.” And for one second Rey felt a small sense of relief, that she wasn’t the only one mourning after Ben Solo.

“But Luke will stay with us, through our actions and in the force that connects us all.” And just like that Rey’s small glimmer of comfort was squashed out. Leia’s kind smile fell, she must have sensed Rey’s disappointment,

“unless that’s not the thing that bothers you, that has been bothering you for the past two months.”

“It’s not that I don’t miss Master Luke, I do, but…” she took a breath, “Everything happened so fast, me going after Luke and then the battle with Snoke and the resistance crumbling and experiencing so many losses. I just don’t know how to deal with it all.” Her battle with Kylo, her discussions with Ben were obviously left out but Leia still sensed her hesitation.

“At first I thought you were upset because Finn and Rose got so close-“ Rey wanted to interrupt and deny it but Leia already continued, “-but I soon realised that your relationship with him is one of a friendly nature, there was no jealousy in the look you have when you see them together, it took me a couple of days to realise what it was.” Rey dreaded the answer that was about to come out of Leia’s mouth.

“Longing can be almost as painful as loneliness,” Rey leaned against the wall of the falcon and closed her eyes to keep her tears at bay.

“What do you long for Rey? What is it that you want? because I promise you that if it’s a family, the resistance can be that for you. Just give them some time and yourself some time to find a footing in this chaotic family.”

“It’s not that either,” Rey confessed, “I know this can be my family, that these people would give anything to save each other but… I don’t know how to explain this to you, there are things happening with me and the force, things the force is doing with me that I don’t understand. That I can’t possibly understand without some help, and I’m afraid general, that you are not the person who can help me figure it out.”

“Then who can?” Leia’s questioning eyes waited for a response that Rey would not give. She knew, of course she knew, who needed to help her find these answers. The only person who had the same problem as her. But how could Rey look into Leia’s dark brown eyes that are so much like her son’s and tell her it’s Ben’s help she required. Her son’s help, the son that killed his own father and indirectly caused Luke’s death. A man she once called a monster and felt nothing but hatred for and now…now she just felt betrayed and disappointed with him. No anger, no fear, just sadness and loneliness, always loneliness.

So Rey whispered the only answer she could give, “I don’t know,” and with that she stormed off towards the small training area leaving Leia behind with her brown eyes and knowing gaze.

* * *

Supreme Leader Kylo Ren was rattled. A feeling that he got a bit too often lately. Especially after he met Rey and killed his… no he would not think about that now. The force connection cut off before she could say anything to his defeated - “No.”- a word he did not want to say, but it was getting harder for Kylo to lie to himself. Ever so often he would remember the young boy he used to be. With a name that he no longer had a right to own nor possessed. He was Supreme Leader Kylo Ren; it was not what he expected. He wasn’t the only one suffering from the events on Crait though; he felt Rey’s feelings of sadness and loneliness the second the bond opened and connected them once more. In the deepest parts of his mind, where the inkling of the man he used to be still resided, he was comforted by the fact that Rey felt what he did too. The emptiness that had settled in after she closed the falcon door was something they both felt. Kylo had this feeling before but now it was stronger then ever.

The ordeal with the Force bonds was mysterious enough on it’s own however, the sensation of torment added another question to this confusing relationship he built with the Scavenger from Jakku. Once his power was established and official, he started looking into old text from both light side and dark side users, to find any clue as to what was going on and what the force might be trying to do. He heard about force bonds before, back when he was still Ben Solo and was being trained by Skywalker. The memory became clear as day during one of the many nights he could not sleep. Questions about the force bond and if it would ever open again haunted him, when he remembered what Skywalker said to them,

“A force bond usually exists between a Jedi Master and his or her Padawan, they can learn through it and it makes teaching younglings easier however, there were instances where the force connects two individuals on opposite sides, this is very rare almost unheard of and usually manifests its self through a shared vision.”

That was the only information Kylo had about the force connection and none of them seemed to fit their situation. Shared force vision was one of the tell tail signs of a bond but him and Rey never had any shared visions, when they touched in the hut they both saw two different futures and it wasn’t like they were just connected through force visions. They could have full conversations from systems away. They could touch.

Kylo was confused. Why would the force connect them? When he saw her for the first time on the planet of Takodana the feeling was instant, she was different. His infatuation only grew after she was able to breach his mind with no previous force training. Their shared link only grew stronger and with it, Kylo’s desire to know what was happening. He poured over books and old scripts from Snoke’s library, most of the books were however, for dark side users, some mentioned a manipulative bond between two people. How a Sith could enter a Jedi’s mind if they are strong enough. He did not like to read those. After Snoke’s reveal, Kylo was shaken and left with a sense of betrayal and shame- shame due to the knowledge that his previous master had thought him so weak that all it took was a girl to sway him away from the dark. Which, to be fair, was correct in the end but… it was not to Snoke’s benefit. No, Snoke was cut in half and Kylo was free. Or so he thought.

Now this bond was keeping him up at night.

It was then that Kylo noticed a hesitant Lieutenant was intercepting him on his way to… he didn’t even know where he was heading in the first place. Kylo Ren needed to get a grip.

He could feel the Lieutenant’s discomfort and fear, “Supreme Leader,”- he saluted- “I have news from the Corellian sector;” Kylo tensed, he never liked dealing with that planet but they’ve been having difficulties with the recruitment program, more and more cadets were rebelling from that Planet and even more disappeared or escaped. Clearly someone was turning the stormtroopers in training against them, maybe it was his mother’s band of goons but something told him that there is more to the story. The Lieutenant continued his report after seeing that Kylo was still calm, “We’ve gotten word that there are not one but multiple recruiters and trainers disappearing and turning against the First Order however, these people were always loyal to us. They only started doing so in the past-” he abruptly cut himself off then but Kylo knew what he was about to say, they only started rebelling when he became Supreme Leader. Kylo Ren was furious, not only did he have to deal with this weird force bond but also with subjects that were more loyal to Snoke, who did not believe in him.

He dismissed the Lieutenant in a tight voice and stormed to his quarters. He didn’t want to go to Corellia for obvious reasons but it started to look like he had to make an appearance at some point. A small demonstration of what happens to the people when they disrespect their Leader would be all it takes, a quick stop over and then leave again immediately.

He decided to push the issue towards the back of his mind which meant that the questions of the force bond were right there again. Kylo feared that he would never find answers or he would have to find some jedi texts, the dark side did not know enough about this matter, only how to forge and manipulate. Disregarding Snoke’s boast about him being responsible for bridging their minds, he had to find out how this could happen naturally and he suspected that the Jedi might have some answers there.

Which gave Ren two options; number one, send someone he trusts out to find these Jedi texts, but that was going to be hard because he did not trust anyone to get the job done properly and especially without Hux knowing. If Hux would find out he would suspect that Kylo was turning to the light and would be unfit to rule. While Hux had no real merit- Kylo was not dumb enough to underestimate a man like Armitage.

Number two would be to ask Rey to help him. That made Kylo puff out a small laugh, how likely would that be… after how she acted during the force bond she would rather work with anyone but him to find answers. Both options seemed to be rather unlikely however, something told Ren that option two was the way to go, that he could not solve this mystery completely alone.

Thus he decided to wait until the force bond opened again to ask for her help and something told him that it would not take as long as last time for him to see her again and for them to talk. At least he hoped that was the case.

* * *

They finally found a planet that would offer enough protection from the First Order. Just in time because, while they all liked each other just fine, tensions were rising in the small space the Falcon had to offer and being cooped up constantly did not make things any easier. Thus Rey’s souring mood was not well noticed due to everyone else getting impatient as well.

Once on the ground even Rey’s spirit lifted. She laughed more and while the lingering loneliness was still present, it was often overpowered by other emotions. However, she often thought of Kylo’s complexion when they last spoke. Haunted and tired. She couldn’t keep the small spark of sympathy away from that image, but he made his choice and she made hers, there was nothing else she could have done. So she pushed those feelings and that memory away and continued her training with the force on the jungle grounds. Leia was pleased with the progress she was making and Rey sensed that her worry was eased by Rey’s more positive attitude.

It’s been two weeks since the last force bond occurred. Rey has been pouring through every book that Master Luke had, to find answers but all she read about were, Master/Padawan connections or shared visions and nothing suggests feeling like a piece was amiss or restlessness to the point of feeling so exhausted that it made a person hyperactive.

Rey could not sit still. First she was down all the time and now this. She had to fiddle with something or train or go on a run. It started to annoy her friends she could feel their emotional signatures through the force, Leia was the only one that was more amused by Rey’s shift in character. She had been training Rey, making her do courses and giving her lightsaber lessons. However, she has yet to connect with other Jedi in the force, somehow that was the hardest part, in the back of her mind she blamed her connection to Kylo; a dark force user. A permanent presence of darkness within here, keeping her from connecting with all the Jedi that came before. Breaking the bond might be the solution to this problem- the desperate side of her brain came up with that idea a couple of days ago however, the logical side knew that the bond was forged by the force, it has to mean something. That left her with the fear that she could never connect with the Jedi. That she’ll never be able to complete her training and take down the First Order.

She decided to go on a run and set up some other obstacles along her course.

Rey loved running through the jungle, the green surrounding her and the noises the wild life made. On Jakku there was only quiet and death. Everyone was isolated on Jakku, not just Rey but she always felt like everyone else got by with the solidarity just fine. Here, things were different and as she was running her track; even that part of her that felt like a piece was missing disappeared. That never happened before and at first she was surprised but then she quickly figured out why. Kylo Ren’s force signature was as familiar to her as her own, so she stopped running and faced him. He looked better, not as pale but the bags under his eyes had not disappeared and if Rey was being truthful she probably looked as well rested as he did.

“Did you find a new planet to reside?” he asked, his voice maddeningly calm.

“Somewhere you can’t find us.” She snapped

“I found you just fine.” Kylo’s brows were raised and the corner of his lips twitched, a ghost of a smile appeared. That made her angry, he didn’t get to be cocky; it’s not like he connected them. Kylo must have felt her anger because his face became serious again and a small part of Rey was disappointed but she was not about to acknowledge that.

“I need your help,” the abrupt change of topic and the fact that he had the audacity to ask for her help made her even angrier.

“If you think, for even a second, that I would help you in anyway after everything you’ve done, then you must be more delusional then I thought.”

“I think you would want to help me with-” she didn’t even let him finish, she turned around, was already walking away when…

“The force is connecting us! we need to find out how and why! Don’t you want to know why we can talk to each other, see each other-“ touch each other. He didn’t say that but they both thought about it. “I know you can feel my frustration as clear as I can feel your anger, don’t lie about it. We can’t even lie about anything while we are having a bond. I have never heard or seen of this kind of connection before and all my research has amounted to nothing. I can guess how well yours has been going by the state you are in, aren’t you curious why this is happening?” He half yelled half growled his small speech. One thing was clear to Rey, the Supreme Leader was as frustrated with this as Rey herself and of course she was, it was maddening not to know why all of these things were occurring, why the force just wouldn’t leave them alone. So she tuned around again and sighed in defeat.

“I thought it might come to this-“ she admitted “-you and me working together to find some answers.” He looked surprised at her confession but the sense of relief she felt through the bond overpowered the surprise at her quick agreement. Rey rolled her eyes at him and clenched her teeth, “Do you recon any of this has been easy for me? I can’t sleep, ever. That’s why I’m in this state, you don’t look better by the way. I can’t even ask Leia if she knows anything, even as a completely rhetorical question, it would be way to obvious and how would I explain to her that I have this weird force connection with her son who is also the Supreme Leader of the regime we are trying to destroy.” Rey was furious but… mostly she was tired of everything. She just wanted to sleep; a good nights’ sleep would do her some good. That’s all she really needed. Sleep and this force bond to stop connecting them.

“I’ve heard about a force bond between Master and-“

“Padawan, yes me too I read it in one of Master Skywalker’s books, but they are never this strong and they are used for teaching and you are not my teacher.” Ren looked away and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, “not yet,” but she ignored that.

“It’s also not a normal bond between force users, it only ever talks about a shared vision not about… this.” He gestured between the two.

“What about your side? What does the dark side say about these kinds of bonds?” Now he looked uncomfortable, so was she, as bizarre as this bond was, she didn’t like the idea of it being something dark or tainted.

“Well it said that some bonds can be forged by very powerful Sith, who enter into the Jedi’s mind and plant images there for them to see and discover information but I’m not a Sith and-“

“I know, it’s not like that with us, it’s…” Rey did not know what to say, intimate? or personal? might be some words to use but she would not say those out loud. She didn’t have to anyway, he knew.

They both felt the bond weaken so with the promise of Rey reading through the rest of the Jedi texts and Ren continuing to look in the dark side for clues the bond snapped shut.

* * *

Kylo was reluctant to admit that he felt better after the second force bond a week ago. Since then he could even catch some hours of sleep every night before he was woken by one of his councillors. Morning council sessions were a daily occurrence and new trade routs had to be discussed to bring more trade to the Outter Rim. Something the Republic had failed to do by keeping most of the wealth in the centre of the galaxy. He planned to change that and he would start with building docks for trading ships on Igabar, a planet that was mostly forgotten but offered enough space for a port where trading ships could refuel and rest. The city needed a bit of a run down but they had enough resources to rebuild some old shops and cantinas. Kylo chose them for other reasons as well, their location was between, Tatos the new metal producer for the First Order and Icarus the planet that would build the new fleet of Star Destroyers, due to their good terrain and open fields the factories will stand on solid ground while Tatos has too many hills to build a factory of that scale on the planet. Thus metal could be mined in Tatos then collected and flown to Icarus and make a fuel stop over in Igabar. It would employ billions of people and help many rise out of poverty even if the wages would be low, they could still train some gifted individuals in the engineering sector and management. Besides most people on these planets had no large source of income to begin with. Many were corrupt which the First Order was no longer supporting. With Kylo in power he wanted to limit the crime rates in these systems, he would no longer tolerate large scale organisations like Snoke did. A cause of some First Order councillor’s worries but Kylo went ahead and made sure most of the crime ringers were being eliminated.

“The crime ring on Igabar has been obliterated the ChaCha’s are no longer in the position of Power on the planet. The Stormtroopers made quick work and they never had the superior weaponry that the First Order possesses.” General Pilos gave his report, he was responsible for sending the Stormtroopers where they are needed most.

“Good, how are the factories coming along on Icarus?”

“Very well Supreme Leader, the foundations have been set and the build can begin in the next month.”

Kylo was pleased to hear some good news, being Supreme Leader took many council meetings and a lot of long days wasted listening to nonsensical debates. However, today was not such a day. He wanted this to be a quick council session so he could find out more about the force bond but he sensed the growing unease in the room and his spine stiffened.

“What is it?” he snapped at them.

“There is still the growing concern about Corellia sire. We have more reports of cadets abandoning posts and Lieutenants turning on us on a dime. There must be more to this situation then we originally thought.”

The Supreme Leader slammed his fist on the table and yelled, “Why is it that none of you are competent enough to keep some cadets from turning on the First Order?”

No one spoke, the room was silent until Armitage Hux amassed some courage or stupidity, Kylo was willing to bet on the latter, and said, “We did not have this issue under Snoke, maybe it would help if you would go personally… Supreme Leader.”

Kylo nostrils flared and he could have choked him to death right there, in front of everyone. He would have too if he wouldn’t have felt the force bond creeping up on him. Kylo stared Hux down but slowly nodded his head, yes. He would have to go see what the problem was for himself but not yet.

“I’ll give you some time to fix this, if the situation on Corellia does not improve within the next three months, I will visit the planet myself, for now you are all dismissed.” Kylo clung to the hope that maybe, if they see that his implementations worked, that the First Order was no longer allowing grand scale corruption, things on Corellia would settle down by itself and he did not have to visit Solo’s home planet. For now, he would focus on the new factories and ports… and Rey.

The second he thought of her the bond snapped into place properly and she was there. As always, all he could see was her, non of her surroundings, nothing but _her_.

“You interrupted my council meeting.” He stated and she scowled.

“What about? How to supress more people and force them into labouring for the First Order?” she accused.

“No actually I am planning to take trade to the Outter Rim, factories are being built which brings employment opportunities and may from a new trading rout. Unlike the Republic I do care about the people outside of the inner circle, planets like Jakku could benefit greatly from this.” He did not know why he was telling her this but Rey was visibly taken aback and Kylo realised that he wasn’t ashamed to admit that he was smug about it.

“You didn’t expect that? That I would actually try to change things around a bit. I saw the flaws in the first order but they can be taken care of. Besides every system has flaws regardless of how hard you try.”

“And do these new employees know that their children will be taken away and forced to become soldiers for the First Order? How lucky and relieved they must feel to finally have employment.” She scoffed.

Ren raised his eyebrows and smiled, “Like I said, no regime is perfect and besides isn’t that what your Jedi did as well? Take children with the the gift and never allowed them to see their parents again? What was it? _There is no emotion._

So they can fight wars for the Jedi and only when the Jedi tell them to fight. No free will, just do what the Jedi order tells you. It’s hypocritical for you to accuse me of stealing children if you one day will do the same, as hypocritical as the Jedi order.”

“If I am a hypocrite then so are you, you are doing the same exact thing.” They were both raising their voices now, anger and agitation flowed through their bond. Kylo looked away, out the window. “I try to change how we do things around here-“ he said in a calmer almost defeated tone, “- but some things can’t be changed, this is how it is.” When he looked back at her she was staring at him with impassive eyes. He moved on, “do you think this will happen more frequently, that a bond might be a daily occurrence?” – “I hope not.” Rey said and Ren released a small puff of air.

“It is quite annoying; did you find anything else yet? About the bond?”

“No. you? “

“No.”

They were both quiet for some time, a rare occurrence usually she would be ranting at him or calling him a monster. She must have picked up on his thought process because Rey’s expression turned to annoyance but before she could say anything the connection broke. Kylo was relieved, he was too tired to fight with her over petty things. Now that the bond was over he could go back to finding answers about it but somehow he feared that the Sith did not posses it… and neither would the Jedi.

Two weeks went by without the bond reopening. The new factories were being built and first trading routs opened. While the problem on Corellia was a constant presence in Kylo Ren’s mind he chose to focus on other things on the list. Military planning, new bases had to be set up and generals dispatched. Some of the planets that were being difficult were to be taken care of and the Supreme Leader was still not closer to an answer to the question that plagued him the most. Why would the force connect him to a scavenger from Jakku? Why Rey and not anyone else? If she would have only taken his hand they could figure it out together. Not wait until the Force opened again on a whim.

It made Kylo angry, it frustrated him more then anything else. He had so many questions and no Master who could answer them. He had so many emotions that he could not understand… most of them would centre around Rey. Before he met her, Kylo was sure that Snoke was the person who could teach him best how to embrace the power of Vader. Now he was unsure, doubtful of so many choices he made. Rey was not wrong when she said the murder of his father tore him apart but he could not go back now. Otherwise that murder was in vain and it had to mean something. It had to bring him closer to the dark side. It just **had** to. He was lying in his bed staring into the darkness when he felt the connection steer once more.

She appeared immediately, by the look of it the planet she was on had afternoon. She just finished a training session by how sweaty and dirty she was, Kylo liked it. What was also abundantly clear was that she did not expect to see him in his sleep wear. A loose shirt and low hanging trousers. She stared at hi, her eyes glazed over, before shaking her head and said, “I think I found something that might be the most similar to our connection.” He sat up immediately, “what?”

“I read one of the texts and it mentioned two force users with a similar bond, their names were Bastila and…” – “Revan.” He finished for her. “I know him, Darth Revan was a Sith Lord and a very powerful and gifted force user.”

“He apparently got injured during a fight against Bastila, she almost killed him but then decided to heal him, his memory was whipped and the Jedi wanted to use him for information to where the Sith layer is in the Unknown Regions but he could no longer remember. Before he became a Sith Lord he was a Jedi but the long wars and the loss of his men destroyed him. He joined Bastila’s crew and went on missions, they developed a strong force bond as well.”

“Where did you read this? Can I see the text?”

She turned around to find the book. “It’s not this explicit but I asked around and C3PO knew the story.”

“Of course he did.” Kylo muttered as she passed him the book. Indeed, the force bond was similar to their, emotions and thought processes could be held and transpired between the two; not as strong and unique as with him and Rey but it was a start.

“Do you know what happened? To the two of them I mean? Did they ever break it or…” he drifted off due to Rey’s uncomfortable expression, “What? Did they kill each other?”

“No, they did not do that…” she paused, “They renounced the Jedi and got married, they had a son.”

_Oh._

Rey was avoiding his eyes. Kylo didn’t mind.

“Was there more?” he asked in a rather awkward tone.

“No. I’ll ask C3PO to tell me the story again, maybe I’ll be able to figure out how a bond can be formed. I assume that her saving his life caused the bond, but we never saved each other…”

“Yes the force healing must have done something to them. I haven’t found anything new I don’t think the Sith have any answers, I need a different source.”

Rey nodded absentmindedly.

“I think the Jedi can’t help either, but if both the Sith and the Jedi do not have answers then who might?” 

“A Master of the force, someone who has it but is not a jedi nor a Sith… you might want to ask my…mother for help.”

Rey took a step back, panic in her eyes.

“And tell her what? Leia, I have this very strange connection with your son, we keep on seeing each other. How long you ask? Since Ahch-To in fact, it’s been an ongoing…” she didn’t finish the sentence.

“Occurrence? Affair?” Kylo supplemented and Rey’s eyes snapped to his.

“Nuisance.” She finished with fire in her eyes. This time Kylo looked away.

“Nuisance.” He echoed, “is it really that bad? I can feel how lonely you are, how isolated you feel from the rest of the resistance. I feel… well you know what I feel too. I can also feel that a deep part of you regrets not taking my hand, you hide it well, bury it under everything else but you can’t lie here.”

“Neither can you. You think I don’t feel your regret either, how you hate yourself for killing your father, for staying when you could have come home with me.”

They were once again on opposite ends, two sides of the same coin just that they were facing each other, always facing each other, circling around the truth and one another. Being pulled together by the force with no explanation as to how and why.

It was kriffin frustrating, for both of them.

“Why is this happening?” Kylo was at his wits end, “why us? couldn’t the force have connected two other individuals? I have an empire to run, I don’t have time for this.”

“And you think I do, I have an empire to overthrow.” They were both angry now and the force bond was quacking. “I don’t want to have to see you all the time, we are enemies you made that very clear back on the Supremacy.”

“No you made that clear by not taking my offer when I gave you a choice. You almost killed us when the lightsaber broke.”

“I almost killed us? You couldn’t let go?”

“Why would I it’s my lightsaber, you stole it like the scavenger you are.”

“It was calling to me, not you. Back on starkiller base I was the one who it went to.”

“And back on the Supremacy it could not decide anymore so it was clearly no longer yours either.”

Rey picked up what Kylo assumed was a stone and hurled it at him. He ducked fast enough but the stone was now lying on his bedroom floor. Rey realised her mistake immediately, they both stared at it until she ran to grab it but Kylo was closer. He flung himself at the stone, both of them crashing into each other.

They haven’t had physical contact since the fight on the Supremacy and when they slammed into each other the visions that came were fast but telling.

A voice calling them, beckoning them to a dark place, a forbidden place. An image of Corellia and a bird that spread warmth through them both. A cynical laugh that caused a chill within them and a throne. The Sith throne, all dark and with spikes coming out of it. One figure was sitting on it the other stood to the right side. Rey looked at herself on the throne with Kylo Ren next to her. They looked dark, powerful… regal. An unstoppable force. The vision abruptly cut off.

Rey had the stone in her hand but both were too stunned to react. Wide eyes met Kylo’s full of dread.

Ray was the first to speak, “What was that? That voice and the… throne?”

Kylo was still reeling, he knew that laugh from somewhere and that familiar feeling of terror was a constant through his life. The image of Corellia made him dread it all the more. He didn’t allow himself to think of the throne room scene. Not yet. Before he could fully fathom an answer for Rey, she disappeared from his sight. Taking the stone she threw with her and thus the only means of finding her and leaving him on the floor alone still holding the Jedi text…

* * *

Rey was rattled. For days. She never felt such dread or terror and that brief warmth made it even worse. It pushed her to train harder. Something dark was coming their way and it was not the First Order. Leia noticed her change as well, she was more aggressive and rigorous then before. Training all day and studying all night. The force bond did not open again, that distressed her as well. She, now more then ever, needed to talk to Kylo, ask him what it meant. He looked so scared when the vision stopped, scared and knowing. Rey needed him to tell her what was going on.

Why that planet? And who’s voice was that, calling to them both. It can’t be good, with how horrible she felt after hearing it. Rey waited a week for the force bond to open but it did not. Her anxiety and exhaustion lead her to do something she did not want to do at all. Ask Leia about force bonds and the visons one shared during a connection. She didn’t allow herself to think of the throne room vision in particular.

She decided to approach Leia after dinner. As night settled and people started to clean up around the fire, Rey headed towards Leia with the hope of not being intercepted by one of her friends.

They liked to tell stories around the fire which Rey enjoyed but today she didn’t have time for that. She felt bad too, about not being with Finn more and talking to Rose and him. BB-8 sometimes accompanied her on training runs and sometimes that was the only interaction she had during the entire day. Rey wanted to talk to Poe, Finn, Rose and Kaydel more but she felt like her force abilities kept her from truly connecting with them. That was a part of her only another force user could understand like Leia or…

She sighed, took a deep breath and entered Leia’s quarters. Her Master sat at the small table in her room and looked at something on a hologram.

“Master Leia.” Rey announced herself, Leia looked up with tired eyes but smiled once she saw who it is and beckoned Rey to approach the small table.

“Rey, it’s nice to see you. Take a seat. Do you want something to drink?”

Rey sat down but shook her head to the offer.

“Master Leia I came to ask you about something that has been on my mind for many months.” She had Leia’s full attention and something told Rey that the older woman expected this conversation to happen sooner or later.

“You have been very distant since Luke passed away and we fled from the First Order. I feared that you were feeling trapped in your new role for the resistance. The last week changed my mind about that, what is it that you need to know?”

“Do you know anything about…” Rey hesitated but she had to ask Leia for guidance, no one else would understand except Kylo and if you need him the force decides to not open up a connection. Rey tried again, “Do you know anything about force bonds and more specifically about visions one can experience while having such a bond?”

Leia stared at Rey and then a small smile played at her lips.

“Force bond you say?” Rey was convinced that Leia knew, probably already since they met up at Crait. Neither woman addressed who the force bond was with though, Rey was too mortified by that.

“I’ve read about force bonds before. Between Master and Padawan or Mother and child-” she paused there and her eyes turned sad. Rey had the sudden urge to tell her what happened on Ahch-To, that Ben was not completely gone; that he killed Snoke on the Supremacy but then she remembered what happened next and decided not to. While Rey still hoped for Ben Solo’s return, she couldn’t voice it.

Some superstitious part of her thought that if she voiced it, it would not happen, so she harboured that hope deep in her mind and kept it to herself. Leia continued, “it usually manifests through feeling when the other person is near or sharing emotions and sometimes it can cause visions to occur. These visions should always be taken with doubt. Visions in general are fickle by nature. No one can see the future, we can only have an idea of it or see a version that might be a possibility but no one has ever been able to predict the future as it happened. There will always be another scenario or way that it plays out. Visions are mostly symbolic; they hold truth within but only parts of it.”

Rey felt eased, for the first time in a week her mind calmed down. However, none of the bonds that Leia described sounded close to the intimacy that Ren and Rey had shared with the force bonds. Not only a mental connection but a physical one as well. Touching someone in another system was never in the description of force bonds. Rey needed to know if Leia ever heard of something like it or if Luke ever mentioned a similar story. So Rey bottled up all her discomfort and asked, “have you ever heard of a force bond that can manifest in a physical was?” Leia furrowed her brow in contemplation.

“What do you mean with physical? Feeling when the other is bodily harmed because that can-“

“No. I meant actually seeing them in front of you, holding entire conversations face to face… being able to… touch each other. As if the other person is there with you.” Rey felt herself blushing and Leia’s look of wonder and her widened eyes already answered her questions.

“Rey… I’ve never heard of something like this before. Luke told me many stories of force bonds or connections between Padawan and Master or Apprentice and Sith but a physical manifestation… no I’m afraid I cannot help you with that.”

Rey tried to play her disappointment off as nonchalance but she was always easy to read and she was sure Leia saw her face fall. Regardless, Rey started to get up and thanked her Master for her time. As she was walking out the door Leia called out to her, “Rey?” she stopped and turned her head to the side in an indication that she was listening. Leia continued, “whatever this may be that plagues you, be it visions or… maybe you should just let it be, the force works in mysterious ways Rey. No connection has ever been made without a purpose. Some might call the force destiny and we can’t change our own destiny.” Rey closed her eyes in defeat, no one understood this part of her. Not even Leia.

Rey reread the Jedi texts more out of habit rather then looking for information and her routine continued as always. Train in the morning before it got too humid over lunch time and then mediate and try to connect with the Jedi. She helped fixing ships that scouring parties brought back from close by habituated areas and tried to spend more time with her friends. She had missed them; after Crait she could feel a wedge manifest between them. A distance Rey didn’t know how to bridge and if she was being completely truthful didn’t care to bridge at the time either. She was still too upset about the let down she experienced on Ahch-To and then on the Supremacy and too confused about the force bond. So she chose to train more and distance herself.

Now however, there was nothing more to do, they settled in on the planet and had to wait until they recovered more ships and recruited more people. Life in the resistance was quite uneventful when there was no war to fight. Which gave Rey more time then she could handle, because if she had nothing to do then the feeling that something was missing and that would lead her to the force bonds and ultimately to Kylo Ren and what could have been if he would have chosen her instead of the First Order. This in turn would make her feel even more lonely, which was ridicules since she had found a new family in the resistance.

But the feeling that she was different, that they treated her at arms length due to her force sensitivity still stung. This in turn also brought her back to thoughts of Kylo, she feared that he might be the only person in the world who truly understood her, and the feeling of despair she felt even when amongst friends.

However, thinking of him only made her angry at herself. She did not want to want to talk to him. She waited for the force bond to open every day but she could not admit that to herself because that would be admitting that she wanted to see him and Rey could not want that… ever.

Thus she fixed ships with Finn and Rose and watched them bicker and helped Poe find semi intact ships to bring back to their base to fix and followed first order troop movements over the radio to come up with battle tactics. And through all of that, Rey waited. Waited for a bond to open that hadn’t in now near three weeks.

Of all the things she she did during the day she had nothing to do at night but rest. That was when the dreams would come, dreams of her on a throne sometimes the Sith throne and sometimes another one that she had never seen before, on a beautiful planet that she had never visited before. With green leaved trees and fields, there were swamps as well. It was a beautiful planet. The throne she usually sat on had a beautiful view of the mountains that graced the planet and while she was there she felt content. The piece of her that was amiss would no longer plague her, in both scenarios. And _he_ was always there as well, in the corner of her eye. They would walk together hand in hand. Sometimes they would do more then hold hands… She could feel him through the force and when she looked at him he even smiled at her. More often then not the two visions would blur together and she could no longer distinguish what was what. One thing stayed constant though, in both she no longer felt alone and she knew she never would again. When Rey woke up it was always with a bitter sweet sensation but her dreams of the vision in the Sith throne room worried her.

It was a dark future, an alluring one.

Rey denied that fact. She would not fall under the spell of the dark side or Kylo’s promises of ruling the galaxy together. If he would have just come with her then things would not be so uncertain and complicated between them. Poe and Finn were making fun of each other over breakfast when she felt the force bond again. The connection was sporadic in nature since Rey and Kylo went their separate ways, unlike on Ahch-To where it could happen once a day without warning; now it would happen less frequently but both, Kylo and Rey, were now more perceptive of it, so she could excuse herself before it seemed like she was ranting into thin air.

Hidden behind the tree line the bond snapped into action and the first detail Rey noticed was that Kylo felt and looked uneasy. She squinted at him.

Kylo turned towards her from a control panel, she assumed.

“I’m heading to Corellia something seems to be wrong, maybe I can find answers there.” A small spasm of fear shot through Rey. Corellia was the planet that they both saw in their vision.

“I’ve been seeing that place in my dreams more and more-“ he shook his head in confusion- “I don’t know why, it’s not just the First Order but also our bond, maybe I’ll find more answers there.” He seemed almost dazed, Rey nodded at him.

“Are you having dreams about Corellia as well?”

Rey’s eyes widened a fraction but she tried to keep her voice steady, “Sometimes I see it but not often…” she drifted off. Kylo nodded in contemplation.

“I just don’t understand why that planet?” He was exasperated, “I guess I’ll find out soon.” He glanced hat her when she did not say anything, “Did my mother have any information about this force connection we are having?” When she did not answer again he fully turned towards her.

“What is it? What’s wrong.” And the softening of his voice made tears come to Rey’s eyes; which alarmed Kylo even more. He stood up and walked towards her. He was standing in front of her now looking directly at her with a question gaze.

“It’s just all so confusing. This bond that no one has answers to and all those visions that could mean anything. Add to that the feeling of dread that came with them. It’s just all too much sometimes and no one understands…” but you, she did not want to say that but Rey did not have to anyway, Kylo already knew.

“Listen I’ll go to Corellia and find out what this all is about and maybe after we will have some more answers. We’ll figure this out, even if the force bonds take a long time to open up again. There must be a reason for that.” So he noticed it as well, he too felt her absence in the force. Rey wasn’t the only one who longed for the Force bonds to open again, to just talk to someone who saw what she saw even if that someone was her supposed enemy.

His reassurance gave her some comfort; in time for the bond to close but before it could separate them completely, “Be carful on Corellia and good luck.” Rey said quickly, he looked surprised but nodded his head, “once I’m back I’ll try to open the bond then we can talk about… it” he finished lamely and the bond closed. Leavening Rey with a feeling of levity.

* * *

Corellia’s slums smelled of rotten meat and bad breath. Which Kylo expected. What he did not expect was the amount of scavengers and thieves running around. He witnessed at least three petty crimes since he landed not twenty minutes ago. He opted to go alone to Corellia to Hux’s great joy and his councils dismay. He even took the liberty to organize a ship that was not issues by the first order just to blend in.

The Supreme Leader of the First Order would also have never worn this getup, Kylo was unused to loser clothing whilst being out on business. His black leather gloves and tight fitting armour was left on his ship. Now he was wearing a lose shirt tucked in his woollen pants which in turn tucked into his worn boots. His lightsaber was hidden and he carried a blaster just in case.

His original reason for coming here was the cadets that were disappearing from the First Order however, once the visions started and the dreams would not stop he figured there was more to this. It could not be a coincidence. He headed to the First Order recruitment station to find someone to help him. As he walked in, Kylo headed to the first officer that was free.

“Here for the stromtrooper pro…” Kylo didn’t let him finish. Instead he used the force mind trick so the officer would take him to a Lieutenant. Which he readily agreed to.

As they were walking through the complex, the officer talked to him and explained what is where, Kylo did not pay much attention until he heard a voice. Not the voice of Snoke nor whatever he heard in the vision. The voice was female. She was calling to him and all she said was his name… “Ben Solo.”

Kylo abruptly turned around looking for the source of the whisper but he could not find it. Visibly shaken he caught up to the oblivious officer who was now approaching the area of the Lieutenants offices.

“Lieutenant Lais is available right now, just to the right through the first door.” Kylo nodded and watched the officer disappear again. Shaking his head to clear it from the previous occurrence he nocked on the door of Lieutenant Lais and entered it.

Whatever Kylo thought he would find it was not that. A woman, a bit younger then him with beautiful honey blond hair and green eyes sat in the chair. When she looked up her eyes crinkled in confusion.

“Who are you?”

He was at a loss for words, who was he? He couldn’t just tell her who he was, if Kylo was being honest he didn’t think this through enough. He came here to get this over with as quickly as possible and he honestly forgot about the cover story. Idiot. He caught himself though and quickly came up with a plausible lie.

“I’m an inspector. The First Order sent me due to the recent… incidents.”

Lieutenant Lais relaxed at that, she believed him, he could feel that through the force.

“Makes sense, it was about time that they helped us with this.” She stood up and walked around her desk to get to him. She was a bit taller then Rey, he noticed and then scolded himself for comparing the two women. She stretched out her hand in greeting, “please call me Seroia.” He took her hand and on a whim came up with the first name he could remember, “Coren.” One of his advisors, the only one that did not get on his nerves on a daily basis. Seroia smiled at him and gestured for him to sit down so they could talk.

“What has been happening here has reached the the head of the First Order and we would be thankful for any information you have.”

Seroia nodded, “well it all started around four months ago, recruits; even those who volunteered started acting out. Undermining direct orders or just disappearing. You see, on Corellia there are not a lot of options to get out of the slums, so many take the stormtrooper rout. They train and then once they get deployed they’ll try to escape. That is what sometimes happens. What they never did was just disappear into thin air. It’s almost impossible to get off this planet without the first order noticing it, so it really doesn’t make any sense, especially if they volunteered to go through with the program.”

Kylo listened intently, “so what do you think the problem is?”

“This is going to sound strange but the cadets who did misbehave but not vanished, later on told stories about hearing a voice. That it was not them but someone else telling them what to do.”

Kylo became uneasy. He used to be the only one hearing voices now everyone in the galaxy seemed prone to hearing them.

“This is quite concerning. Voices telling people to disobey orders and telling them to run away.”

“You believe them then? That this is true. I have to admit that I had doubts until a week ago where I heard a similar voice. It was like being in a trance.”

“Was it female or male?”

Seroia furrowed her brow, “Pardon?”

“Was the voice you heard female or male?”

“Male I think but I can’t be certain.” – “did you also hear a voice?”

“Yes it said my name but that’s all.”

They were both quiet for a while.

“Did you talk to the men? Can I talk to them?”

“I did but I don’t think you can get more out of them; they have nothing more to say.”

Kylo stared her down with raised brows. She looked away from him with a blush.

“Of course, you could talk to them tomorrow.”

Kylo was about to thank her when he heard the voice again. _Ben Solo._ That’s all it said. His former name. Ren stood up abruptly and made a swift exit after thanking Seroia for her candour.

_Ben Solo._

The voice was beckoning him and he followed.

Down the street, across the bridge and through the small huts. The voice continued getting ever stronger and with that he became ever more anxious.

Anxious and curious.

He wanted- no- needed answers.

To all the questions of the force bond and visions and all the voices inside his head that were tormenting him since birth, even before that.

As he walked down a street he could hear a cantina close by, voices could be heard. Spending the money of a day’s worth of work. It was only then, that Kylo realised the sun was setting.

How long had he been following that voice?

An hour?

Thirty minutes?

He could not tell nor did he care. He walked down another side ally when finally,

“Ben Solo, you have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment.”

Kylo Ren froze. Instinct made him reach for the blaster and he slowly turned around.

It was a woman, a Togrutan woman. Almost his height but short by a couple of centimetres. He did not speak only stared at her.

“Come with me, I have a lot to tell you about what was and what’s to come.”

But Kylo was stubborn and he wasn’t about to follow a stranger and especially not one that called him by his other name. No one did that except… Rey and now her.

She could feel his unrelenting force signature and rolled her eyes at him but conceded.

“My name is Ahsoka Tano and… I was Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan.”

She walked down the ally into a hut and Kylo Ren followed.

Ahsoka was brewing a herbal concoction, meanwhile Kylo tried not to stare at her for too long.

This was his grandfathers Padawan. One of the most important people to Anakin Skywalker and she was right in front of him. Kylo was in awe.

He heard some stories from his uncle but Kylo never excepted her to ever come to him nor call him.

Ahsoka set down the kettle and brought two cups over to the table. They were in a small hut. A bed was to the right of the entrance in the corner with a small kitchen opposite of the bed and the table on the left side of the room.

She poured him the tea. “To calm your mind.”

“My mind is calm.” Kylo defended rather petulantly. She gave him a look and he made a show of taking a sip of the tea. That made her smile.

“I can see it. Maybe not so much in your looks but the energy is very similar.”

Kylo was… he was… at a loss of everything. No words came to him, no thoughts, nothing. All he could do was wait for her to continue.

“I’m sorry this happened to you. I wish I could have helped you in some way but I could not and for that I apologise. I truly regret not being there when you needed someone Ben Solo.”

“It’s Kylo Ren.” That was the first thing he could utter.

“No. I don’t believe that, I think there is still a very good chance that Ben Solo will return. Sooner then you think.”

“Not after all I have done.” But he could not stop a part of him from hoping she was correct. Wasn’t he the one who told Rey he regretted not going with her. In that first force bond after the battle of Crait. He later blamed it on his weak state, weeks without proper sleep can make you say thing on the fly that you don’t mean. But he did mean it and that scared him.

She could feel it through the force signature. His conflict was blatantly clear to anyone with the force.

Kylo decided to switch to another topic.

“So why are you looking for me? Why call me here?”

“I’m sure you have questions about the force bond that you and the young Rey share with each other. I believe I have some answers to that.”

Kylo looked at her suspiciously, “why not call to her then. Aren’t Jedi supposed to stick to their own?” he sounded childish even to his own ears but he could not keep the bitterness away. Everyone, even his own mother preferred to train Rey rather then him. He was shipped off to Luke, Rey was trained by **his** mother, a woman that had no time for him but for everyone else. Some things never change. The fact that Han Solo even came and tried to bring him home was already a huge surprise for Kylo. But in the end Solo came because Rey was there, it took Kylo abducting her to prompt his father into action.

The worst thing was, he could not even fault them. On the Supremacy he would have done anything to protect her and make his vision come true of them ruling the galaxy as equals.

But it was not meant to be…

“I’m afraid you have been misinformed-” Kylo looked at Ahsoka who now sat adjacent to him.

“I am no Jedi. Not after how they treated me during my trial. It’s then that my eyes were opened. When they realised their wrongs they were too proud to admit it. Back then the Jedi were law. What they said was true and everything else false. That hubris was their downfall. I left before that.”

Kylo was in awe, he never heard another person that was a light side force user speak the truth about the Jedi.

“I agree with you, what the Jedi have done was often not correct.”

She looked up from the table into his eyes, “That does not mean that the Sith **are** correct either, but I think you already know that.

The selfish part of me wanted to meet you, that was also why I chose to call upon you. I heard so much about you and I wanted to see if the rumours are true.”

“What rumours?”

“The ones that say that you are one of the most gifted force users. Very much like your grandfather, maybe even a bit smarter then him.”

Kylo was shy, he wanted to know so much. About the bond and force connections, about what his grandfather was like before he became Darth Vader and what happened to Ahsoka.

He decided that the force bond would come first.

“You claim to know what Rey and me share, we are in dire need for answers so if you could start with that.”

She nodded and took a deep breath before she began.

“Have you ever come across the word _Force Dyad_?”

Kylo shook his head, “I know the term Dyad but I never heard of it used in relation to the force.”

“I’m not surprised. It’s an extremely rare bond. Only ever seen a hand full of times in a millennium. It means that your souls are not just bound, it goes further then that. You share a soul with her.”

Kylo’s eyes widened.

“It’s not a split soul either, it’s a soul that lives in both of you simultaneously. That’s why you can feel her emotions. That’s why you can see each other, talk to each other even physically interact with each other.”

Kylo was in shock. He never heard of something like this before.

“And you say that this only happened a hand full of times? Can it break? Will we ever be able to control it?” he had so many questions for Ahsoka. Too many.

“I don’t know about any of that. All I know is that this is for life. If one of you dies the other cannot live.”

“How do you know all this? Where did you go to find this knowledge? Maybe if I go there as well we could find more answers.”

But Ahsoka was already shaking her head, no.

“After I left the Jedi training, after I left Anakin. I went on a path of self training. I used both light and dark side force energy to teach myself. Years later I met a group of rebels, there I bumped into an old friend Kanan Jarrus and his Padawan Ezra Bridge. Both force users in the fight against the Empire.

On a mission I started feeling a connection to Darth Vader, at that time I was unaware who he was but it soon became clear to me what happened to Anakin after I left.”

She had to pause there and took a sip of the tea.

“It went so far that we visited a Sith temple in order to find answers hidden within but Darth Vader intercepted us. I thought him and for a split second when I broke a part of his mask he said my name… like he used to and all I saw was Anakin. And I knew that I was not going to leave him this time. Our duel continued, meanwhile Ezra and Kanan got away and the temple was collapsing in on itself.

Vader was about to strike me when Ezra grabbed me and pulled me through a hole in time and space. Into the World Between Worlds.”

Kylo could not believe what she was telling him. He never even heard of the World Between Worlds, it was never mentioned to him before. He urged her to continue.

“I was confused at first, Ezra looked older and all around us were voices of force users. Jedi and Sith alike, all of them connected by the force.”

She smiled at him then, “I heard your voice too and Rey’s, they were interwoven… now I know why.”

“What is the World Between Worlds specifically?”

“Well I’m afraid I don’t know that either. All I do know is that it’s where the force resides. There is no time in that world, no space. There are many portals you can go through to different moments in the past, present and future.

Ezra and me had a short run in with Sheev Palpatine. We decided to go back in our times and that I would find him after.

When I got back the temple was destroyed and I left to find answers and that’s when I came across the term _Force Dyad.”_

Kylo was amazed at the story she told him. This was better then he could have hoped for. But he had one more question for her.

“In our vision… Rey and mine, we heard a voice and a laugh. Things don’t seem right these days I can feel it in the force. Something dark is coming, do you know what it is?”

Ahsoka looked at him with worry and fear in her eyes, “I was not sure before but I am now. There have been rumours… of Palpatine’s return, that he was looking for someone. Someone specific.”

Kylo went pail. Palpatine’s return was by far one of the worst scenarios he could come up with. He looked at Ahsoka and came to a disturbing thought.

“Was it your voice that those cadets heard. That told them to abandon the First Order and defy Lieutenants?”

Ahsokas brows furrowed in confusion.

“No I never talked to anyone but you.”

That concerned him even more. The Cadets that got away were never seen again. People were disappearing from one day to the next. His right knee started to shake with nerves. He looked out the small hut window in contemplation what to do next when Ahsoka spoke again. Stating what he feared was the truth.

“Palpatine might be looking for you but you are at an advantage.”

Kylo looked back at her in question, “He does not know that you have a Dyad in the force. That bond is so incredibly strong that it might save your life it it would come down to it.”

He dreaded what she would say next.

“You know what you have to do, find him, kill him and while you look for him try not to open the bond with her. He has a way of getting into people’s minds and lurking where you can’t feel him. If he finds out about the Dyad, then you advantage is lost.”

He nodded slowly, “So I try to keep it closed until I find him?”

It was less of a question and more of a statement but it hurt him to think about shutting Rey out. Especially after her conversion of feeling lonely amongst the resistance. But he saw no other way to protect her.

He nodded again, this time with more assurance when a bird like animal flew into the hut and landed right next to Ahsoka. Kylo saw that bird before, in his vision of Corellia.

On closer inspection it resembled an owl more then a bird. It trotted over to him and then leaned down to touch her head to his hand and Kylo was flooded with warmth, he never felt something like it before. He looked at Ahsoka questioningly but she was staring at the bird intently.

When her eyes snapped to his she tried to play off the shock with a small curious smile.

“She likes you.”

“What is she?”

They both looked down at the owl like creature. “Her name is Morai, she has been a constant companion of mine. We share a life bond. Without her I wouldn’t be here today.”

Ahsokas’s face morphed into an expression of worry. 

“Something’s wrong, I have to leave and I suggest you leave this planet as well. Go back to your star destroyer and start looking for Palpatine. I gave you all the answers I have.”

They both stood up abruptly. Kylo could feel it now too, a disturbance in the force. It put them both on edge.

He turned to her, with so many questions left; not just about his grandfather but also about Padme and Obiwan Kenobi, about what happened to the World Between Worlds and if he would ever see her again but there was no time.

So instead he thanked her, “I owe you a great debt Ahsoka, one that I can’t repay you no matter what.”

She smiled at him, “You can by not falling for Palpatine’s games, by not repeating Anakin’s mistakes and remember you are never alone, you have a Dyad and you have the force.”

She hugged him then and he was so startled that at first he could not return the gesture but when he did he lifted her off of the floor and whispered a quiet thanks into her ear.

He set her down and was heading to the door that would lead him back to the ally, back to where he came from; when she called out to him,

“Hey Skyguy.” Kylo turned around, when she said that name the force around them seemed to light up in approval.

“Don’t worry, in your most dire hour I’ll be there to save you.”

He believed her, a thing he no longer did when people told him they would save him. But he knew she was telling the truth and that gave him more comfort then he felt in a long time.

That’s why it was not Kylo that smiled at her but Ben and he said, “May the force be with you, Ahsoka Tano.”

Which in turn caused her to smile even wider then before. He departed out of the door into the ally towards his ship and he could swear he heard her voice inside his head saying, “And may the force be with you Ben Solo.” He could not find it within himself to mind the use of his real name.

No longer in need to talk to the recruits, he already had an idea where they were disappearing to or better to whom they were going.

Palpatine was amassing an army out of stolen soldiers that were, in turn, stolen children and Kylo was going to find him and try to stop the cycle of misery that befell this galaxy a long long time ago.

* * *

On a planet in the middle of the jungle Rey waited for a bond to open. For answers to find her. Instead she felt a determination so strong that it took over her entire being. A confidence that she did not feel before and that Rey suspected might not be entirely her own. Something had changed, she could feel it in the force. Soon the last fight against the evil in this galaxy will begin. If this fight was against the First Order or something else, she could not say but she knew that when the time came she should be ready. So Rey stood up and began to train.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay I know what some of you might want to point out, "Ahsoka is dead in TROS, she spoke to Rey." Well I don't give a single shit what JJ put in this movie because  
> A) Ahsoka would not speak to Rey because she isn't actually a Jedi and only Jedi spoke to Rey because she was "connecting" to them. So we can thank JJ fro not doing his research. Again.  
> B) Ahsoka has NEVER been acknowledged in the movies and I'm not about to believe that Ahsoka is dead she is alive and well and JJ can go stick that idea somewhere else.  
> Otherwise I hope you enjoyed it and you can find me on tumblr under the same username. :D  
> If you want me to write a fix it story you can ask and I'll consider, thank you for reading.


End file.
